


Sins of the Father

by Meraad



Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Gen, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition Quest - Revelations, un-betaed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-06-01
Packaged: 2020-04-06 06:49:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19057408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Meraad/pseuds/Meraad
Summary: Blackwall leaves Skyhold with one goal in mind.Inquisitor Ellana puts all the pieces together and confronts him.





	Sins of the Father

**Author's Note:**

> an attempt to get out of this crappy writing funk I've been in. I had intended on writing something completely different from what I normally write... but alas.

The sun had only just barely begun to creep over the horizon and Cullen rubbed his hand over his mouth, felt the scrape of his stubble beneath his palm. Dread was a weight in his belly. She’d be crushed. Closing his eyes for a moment, he drew in a deep breath and sent up a silent prayer before opening the door to his office and making his way up the ladder to his loft where Ellana still slept.

She lay sprawled across the bed, one of the pillows clutched against her chest, the blankets tangled around her legs, her naked back exposed. Crossing to the bed, he sunk down on the edge and couldn’t help himself, still in awe of her, that she wanted to be with him, his fingers traced down her delicate spine. He heard her hum quietly, though she didn’t move. “Ellana, love,” he spoke gently, then leaned down, kissed her shoulder.

Ellana hummed again, angled her head, and arching up toward him. “I told you it was too early to get up,” she murmured drowsily.

“Ellana,” Cullen said again, hating that he had to do this, ruin her good mood.

“Hmm?” She twisted, and the blanket fell away. Naked and smiling, she reached for him, but Cullen caught her hands. Her brow knit and she frowned. “What is it?” Ellana sat up, yanking the blanket up to her chest. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, love,” he started and she shook her head quickly.

“Just tell me,” she hissed quietly. “What’s happened? Is someone hurt? Was there an attack?”

“Blackwall,” he said and watched her face drain of all color. “He’s gone.”

“What?” Ellana’s voice cracked and she swallowed several times, her eyes suddenly damp.

Cullen held out a piece of paper to her and she took it with trembling fingers. “He left sometime during the night.”

Ellana took the paper, frowned as she stared down at it. “I don’t understand,” her voice was a whisper of sound.

 

_Ellana,_

_Fighting alongside you all these months has taught this old man many things and watching you grow into yourself has been an honor._

_I wish I could have seen this through to the end with you, but it is time I stop running from my past. I want you to know that I am so proud of you._

 

“I don’t understand,” Ellana said again, this time her voice choked with tears. Cullen cupped her cheek, brushed away the damp trail.

“We suspect that he has gone to Val Royeux. There was a missive that had gone missing from Leliana’s notes regarding a man who is to be hanged.”

Tossing back the blankets, Ellana climbed out of bed and quickly dressed. “What is this man’s name?”

“Mornay,” Cullen told her, resting his elbows on his knees as he watched her. “Your horse is already being prepared.” She paused in her frantic movements, met his gaze and a soft smile curved her lips.

Crossing to him, Ellana cupped Cullen’s face and brushed her mouth gently over his. “I think I might love you,” she murmured and felt his hands rest on her hips.

“You think? Last night you were quite certain.”

She laughed against his lips. “Well, last night I was quite taken by that little thing you did with your tongue.” Drawing back she went back to dressing. “Tell me what you know of Mornay.”

“He’s been on the run for years, after an incident that left the entire Callier family dead.”

“Callier?” Ellana sunk down onto the bed beside Cullen and bent over to lace up her boots. “I know that name.”

Cullen’s hand splayed over her back, rubbing gentle circles as he explained. “A noble family that was traveling. A small company led by a man named Thom Rainier, one of Empress Celene’s Captains, attacked them. Callier, his wife, and their children were inside. All were killed, including their guards.”

Ellana’s fingers suddenly went numb and the laces slipped from between them. “Rainier?” Her voice wavered and she sat up and stared at Cullen.

“Do you know that name?” he asked, reaching out to her again, his fingers tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You did grow up in Orlais, though this happened over fifteen years ago, you would have just been a child.”

“Will you come with me?” Ellana caught Cullen’s hand, held it and turned her face to press a kiss to his palm. “Please, I-”

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, Cullen pulled her closer. “Of course, my love.”

 

Standing at the top of the stairs that led down into the prison, Ellana was still struggling to wrap her mind around everything that had happened. Cullen stood a few feet away, his arms over his chest, a deep frown on his face. Ellana had asked him to wait and he had conceded. She adored him. _“I promise, I’ll explain everything, I just need to speak with him first.”_ That was all she’d said and Cullen had kissed her softly.

“ _Whatever you need, love._ ”

Drawing in a deep breath, she made her way silently down the stairs and into the dank hallway. Empty cells lined the way. Last one on the left. It was dark, the only light reaching this corner from a torch by the stairs. She blinked a few times, her eyes quickly adjusting, and she could see him sitting on the damp stone floor, his back against one of the walls. Heavy manacles bound his wrists. Ellana had never seen a man look so defeated.

“How long have you known?” she asked and watched him jerk in surprise.

“What are you doing here?” It was a quiet shout as he lurched forward onto his knees.

“Answer me,” her voice cracked. “How long have you known?”

The man she had known all these months as Blackwall, bowed his head and his shoulders curved inward before he slowly tilted his head back to look up at her. “Before Adamant,” he said quietly and Ellana felt as if she’d taken a blow to the chest.

“Before Adamant,” she repeated. Just over six months. “You knew and you didn’t-” her voice broke again. “Why didn’t you say something?!” Staring down at him, it looked like he’d aged a decade in just a few days.

“You deserved better.”

“I deserved the truth!” Ellana shouted.

“Thom Rainier was a bastard. He never did a single good thing in his life. He only cared about himself. He wouldn’t have given two shits about you.”

The words hurt more than she would have expected them to and tears were suddenly rolling down her cheeks. “I don’t know much about Thom Rainier, but I do know Warden Blackwall, and he is a good man.”

“Warden Blackwall died six years ago. He was a good man, but you never knew him. You only knew a man pretending to be worth more than the noose to hang him.”

“I know you!” Ellana shouted, her hands curling around the bars that separated them. “I know a man who fought for people who couldn’t fight for themselves! A man who taught a scared girl how to fight and stand up for herself! Everything I am, everything I have done is because of you, you prick!” Tears streamed down her cheeks, unchecked, and she saw the tears on his face as well. “And you couldn’t have the decency to just tell me the truth?”

“I didn’t want you to know the truth.”

Ellana stared at him for a long moment. The hurt cut her down to her soul and it was a wound that she couldn’t staunch the bleeding. “Well, now I do and look where we are. You’re to be hanged and I-” her voice broke. “I would have been proud to call you dad.”

Thom closed his eyes and bowed his head. Unable to stand there looking at him any longer, Ellana turned and started back the way she came. “You are the only good thing I’ve ever done in my life. I had nothing to do with you becoming the woman you are now, but I want you to know, I am so fucking proud of you.”

Ellana ran up the stairs and straight into Cullen’s arms. They left the prison and Cullen didn’t let go of her, as they retired to their quarters. He sat down in the oversized chair, drew her into his lap and held her as she wept until she had no tears left to cry. “I’m here, love. I’m here,” Cullen murmured his lips against the crown of her head.

“Thom Rainier,” her voice was a rasp as she rested her head against Cullen’s shoulder and angled her head back to look up at him. “Is my father.” Cullen went utterly still, his brow pinching together as he processed the words. “I knew that he was my father, my mamae told me, told me of what had happened with the Callier family. That Rainier had vanished and had no idea I even existed.”

“Blackwall is Rainier,” Cullen said quietly. “Did he know? About you?”

“He said he figured it out before Adamant. I remember… we were talking,” like they had so often. She’d looked up to the older man, and he truly had taught her so much. He’d been patient and kind and everything she’d ever wanted in her papae. “I spoke of my mother… that must be when he figured it out. He must have remembered her. A servant in a noble house, he courted her, for weeks. Even knowing she was just a servant. The tryst lasted for a few months, then he was ordered off somewhere by Empress Celene and my mother found out she was pregnant and then sent away by the family she worked for.”

“The Inquisition has power, you do not have to leave him to this fate,” Cullen spoke softly, his fingers slipping under the hem of her shirt to stroke the bare skin of her back.

“I don’t know what to do. I can’t just let him hang. But also… this is what he wanted. Rainier’s crimes are unspeakable. But Wardens… their pasts are forgiven in the joining. He may not have been able to follow through with the joining, but he’s lived true as a Warden for years.”

“Rainier should not be able to hide from his past, he betrayed his men. But, you are right. Had he been able to join before, all the good he’s done would have been in his own name, not Blackwall’s.”

Ellana was quiet for several long minutes before she spoke again. “He could have died in Adamant, or before. If he hadn’t supported the binding of demons he would have been killed, and if he had, he would have been cut down in the fighting.”

“I’ll support you, no matter what you decide,” Cullen said quietly and she burrowed deeper into his chest.

“I know you will,” she murmured, pressing her face against his throat.


End file.
